Hair curler



NOV. 10, 1942. W B W|LSQN l2,301,662

` HAIR CURLER Filed All-g. 9, 1937 4 ShetS-Sheet l j 23 la 2 ATTORNEY.

Nov. 10, 1942. w, B, w|| s0N A 2,301,662

HAIR CURLER Filed Aug. 9, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Nov. l0, 1942. w B w|Ls`0-N l 2,301,662l HAIR GURLER Filed Aug. 9, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 xNvENToR William B. Wilson @W7/WJ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR. CURLER Application August 9, 1937, Serial No. 158,061

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a curler for the human hair, and to the process and apparatus for manufacturing it.

In particular, the hair curler herein referred to belongs to that variety which provides a spindle over which the hair can be wound, and some form of fastener for holding the curled hair against unwinding. It has been common in the past, to obtain this result by using a perforated hollow metal cylinder for the spindle. and a detachable spring clamp that has legs eX- tending longitudinally along both sides of the tube. Such devices, although even now are in extensive use, are annoying to the person using them, especially when retained on the head overnight; for then the rigid metal parts may press into the scalp as the head rests on a pillow.

In order to overcome these difficulties, it has been proposed to use soft rubber spindles, formed with a. rubber flap or tongue. The tongue was intended to hold the hair in place on the spindle, b-y being buttoned over a knob at the far end of the spindle. However, serious and almost insurmountable difficulties are encountered in the manufacture of such soft rubber devices, which precludes any extensive commercial use thereof.y

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a soft rubber curler of this character which obviates these difliculties, and which may be manufactured at very low cost and in large..

molded piece into units, as by sawing or cutting. L

In soft rubber curlers as proposed heretofore, the end of the lock of hair is usually held in place by a metal spring hair-pin supported by the spindle, after which the spindle is rotated for winding up the hair. It is another object of the invention to provide a hair curler in which this hair-pin arrangement is obviated, use being made instead, of an integrally formed rubber strip attached to the spindle.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparentJ from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of the rubber blanks from which the hair curlers are fashioned or molded in the form of a series or multiple of individual curlers;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away,A of the mold structure' used for molding the curlers, some of the blanks being in place;

Fig. 3 is a pictorial view of a mold plate utilized in connection with the molding apparatus;

Fig. fi is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of one of the mold plates;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the mold plates in position and the rubber blanks being molded between the plates;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along plane 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a pictorial view of a completed multiple molded article;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View, illustrating a mechanism for trimming the excess rubber away from the hair curlers, the trimming mechanismbeing in open position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary large top plan View, partly in section and partly broken away, of the trimmer mechanism;

Fig. l0 is -a fragmentary cross sectional View of the trimmer mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 8. but showing the trimmer mechanism in closed position, with the punch proceeding downwardly for performing the severing operation;

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 1l but'l showing the completion of severing operation;

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic elevation of the mechanism for severing the multiple hair curler of Fig. 7 into individual hair curlers;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View thereof;

Fig. 15 is a further fragmentary sectional View taken along plane I5-I5 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a complete individual hair curler incorporating the invention;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary top plan View thereof;

Fig. 18 is a sectional view taken along plane |8-I8 of Fig. 15; and

Fig. 19 shows the hair curler in use in connection with a lock of hair.

The structure of the hair curler is shown to best advantage in Figs. 16 to 19 inclusive. It is made in the form of an integral piece of resilient rubber.

The main body of the curler is formed as a substantially cylindrical spindle I. There is a split or division of the cylinder I, whereby an arcuate member 2 is formed, normally lying longitudinally along the length of spindle I, and in an arcuate recess 3 formed on one side thereof. This member 2 is integrally joined to spindle I at its left hand end. It is used to hold the end of a lock of hair between it and the spindle I, prior to the winding operation of the hair upon the spindle. After a lock of hair 4 (Fig. 19) is Wound upon spindle I by rotating this spindle, the wound hair is held against unwindng by the aid of a flap 5. This flap 5 extends longitudinally away from the spindle I and is made of a somewhat better grade of rubber than the spindle, so that it may be readily stretched. Preferably there are several Yintegral ribs 6 placed adjacent each side of the flap 5. Adjacent its extremity the flap 5 is provided with an eye 'I, passing through boss 5. This eye is adapted to be placed over a headed extension 9 at the opposite end of the spindle I. This operation is performed after the lock of hair 4 is wound upon the spindle I, the eye being stretched sufciently to pass over the enlarged head IIl of the extension 9. way the abrupt shoulder back of the head III prevents accidental removal of the eye from the projection 9; the device is buttoned up.

The entire curler being formed of integrally joined elements, its use is simple. member 2 serves effectively to retain the free end of the lock of hair in place during the winding of the rst turn or so upon the spindle I; and the flap or extension 5 retains the lock in place upon spindle I. entire curler is made from soft or yielding material, the user of the curler may keep the curler in place overnight without discomfort to the scalp.

Furthermore, the manufacture of the curlers in quantities is greatly facilitated by the simple one-piece construction.

One of the important features of the invention involves the convenient manner in which a series of such hair curlers may be molded integrally, the spindles I of the curlers being joined in side-by-side relation to form a multiple curler. Such a multiple hair curler is illustrated in Fig. 7. Therein are shown spindles I, and the flaps or extensions 5, forming a large number of individual curlers arranged side by side. This multiple structure can be severed, by a cutting or sawing operation, in a manner1 to be described hereafter. i

The method of molding the structure illustrated in Fig. '7 may be explained to best advantage in connection with Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive. In the specific form of mold illustrated, four sets of multiple curlers may be molded at one time. For each multiple set, three blanks of rubber are utilized. One blank I I (Fig. 1) is a comparatively thick piece of rubber to form the main body of spindles I. Another blank I2 is a thin. sheet, adapted to form the arcuate member I 2. The third blank I3 is also of thin rubber, but of higher grade, to form the flaps or extensions 5, so that these flaps or extensions 5 may be stretched considerably.

vThe bottom mold plate I4 is provided with a series of substantially semi-circular mold depres- In this The arcuate Due to the fact that the sions I5, as well as recesses I6 adapted to form half of the projections 9. At a distance from the recesses I5, the mold plate I4 is formed with circular recesses I'I, surrounding apertures I8. Into these apertures are intended to be placed the core pins I9 to provide the eyes 'I for the extensions 5.

A top mold plate 20 is intended to be superimposed upon the mold plate I4, in accurate registry therewith, as by the aid of a number of dowel pins 2 I. This top mold plate 2i) is formed with corresponding recesses 22 to form the top cylindrical surface of the spindles I, as well as the top half of the projections 9. The circular depressions 23 are provided in the top plate 20, cooperating with the recesses I1 to form the top half of the boss 8.

` In order Vto form the integral arcuate member 2, an intermediate mold plate 24 (Fig. 3) is utilized. This plate 24 is preferably made of thin sheet metal, its thickness corresponding to the clearance between the spindle I and member 2.

In setting up the mold, the blank I2 is placed over the recesses I5 formed in the bottom plate I4. Then the intermediate mold plate 24 is positioned over the blank sheet I2 and is accurately registered by the aid of a series of dowel pins 25. The blank II is then placed over the mold plate 24. As shown clearly in Fig. 6, the mold plate does not completely overlie the mold spaces or recesses I5; inY this way there is provided an integral union of spindle I and member 2. Then the third blank I3 may be placed alongside of one edge of blank II, upon the mold plate I4. There being a series of four multiple molds, additional blanks are placed therein to ll the entire mold, the supplemental or intermediate plate 24 being interposed between each set of blanks I2 and II, as heretofore described.

After the entire lower mold is thus lleol, the top mold plate 20 is placed in accurate registry with the lower plate I4 by the aid of the dowel pins ZI. Thereafter the completed lled mold is v placed, as is well understood, into a press where sufficient heat and pressure are applied to the mold to form the multiple curlers illustrated in Fig. 7. Due to the application of suitable degrees of heat and pressure, the blanks II, I2 and I3 are made to conform to the mold recesses and to be integrally joined to form the multiple article.

It is to be noted that the individual cylindrical spindles I are joined together by thin rubber, extending longitudinally between the spindles, and the flaps or projection 5 are also integrally joined side by side. Furthermore, some excess rubber is squeezed, during molding, between the projections 9, forming ns around them. These ns 25 (Figs. 9 and 10) are preferably removed or severed prior to the operation of separating the individual hair curlers. The apparatus whereby this trimming operation is performed is illustrated in Figs. `8 to 12 inclusive.

The multiple molded hair curlers are first of all placed on a support 21 appropriately grooved to receive the spindles I. These grooves 2l are shown most clearly in Fig. 10. The projections 9 extend beyond the right hand edge of the support 21. The stationary block 28 is intended to provide a restfor the rubber nn portions 25. It is also appropriately provided with through slots 29, conforming to the projections 9 and heads It). The intervening or fin members 26, however, are disposed directly on top of the block 23.

A correspondingly formed clamping block 3E) is provided above the block 28, and is intended to clamp the ns 26. This clamping block may be held tightly in place over the stationary block 23 by any appropriate clamping means. The clamping position is illustrated in Fig. ll.

A punch plate 3|, having a series of depending punches 32, is mounted for vertical movement. The punches 32 are intended to contact the top surfaces of the projections 3. It is apparent that by continued downward movement these projections 9 may be freed from the intervening members or fins 2B. The curlers are thus pushed out through the bottom of the block 23. In order to permit the multiple hair curler to move downwardly below the stationary block 2B, as illustrated in Fig. l2, the supporting plate 2l is mounted movably, as for example upon a plurality of compression springs 33. After this operation is completed, the multiple hair curler can be removed, in preparation for the apparatus for severing the multiple hair curler into individual hair curlers, as illustrated in Figs. 16 to 19 inclusive.

The apparatus for severing the individual hair curlers is illustrated most clearly in Figs. 13, 14 and 15. This apparatus, which is only diagrammatically illustrated, includes a gang of discs 34. The number of discs corresponds to the number of cuts required to separate the multiple hair curlers into individual curlers. They are axially spaced apart upon a common axis provided by the shaft 35. These discs may be in the form of sharp edged knife discs or ne toothed circular saws. The lower edges of these discs, as illustrated in Fig. 13, are intended to be immersed in a body 36 of cooling liquid, such as water, accommodated in a pan 31.

Any appropriate power means may be utilized to rotate the gang discs at a comparatively rapid rate.

The multiple hair curler, such as illustrated in Fig. 7, is intended to be placed in a movable jig to advance it into operative relation to the discs 35. This jig may include a lower plate 38, provided with arcuate recesses 39 for the accommodation of the spindles l. Slots [i are formed through the plate 38 to permit the entry of the discs 34 in the region between the cylindrical spindles l, as illustrated in Fig. 15. A top plate 4 I of the same general configuration as the plate 38, serves to hold the multiple hair cur-ler in place. The entire jig structure is movable in guide strips 42 provided above the axis of the gang discs. For ready manipulation of the jig, a handle 43 may be provided on the top plate 13|.

Matters are so arranged that the discs 3d are moved in a vertical direction automatically into operative position as the jig 38-4I is moved toward the right, viewed in Fig. 13. For this purpose the shaft is mounted on an arm i4 pivotally mounted in the bearing ears 45. Normally the shaft is restrained from excessive downward movement by resting upon spaced stationary plates 46, disposed one at each side of the gang of discs. However, the shaft is moved upwardly about the axis of the arm 44 by the aid of pivoted cam plates 41, on opposite sides of the gang of discs. These cam plates 41 extend from the right hand extremity of elevated plates 43, carried in any appropriate manner by the lower jig plate 38. Thus, as the jig plate 38 moves toward the iii) Iii

right, as viewed in Fig. 13, the shaft 35 is elevated until it is supported on the plates AS. The length of the plates 48 is sufficient to keep the discs cleva'ted and in cutting position for the whole extent of the cut required.

After the cutting operation is performed, a supplemental motion tow-ard the right causes the shaft 35 to drop below the guide plates t3. The retraction of the jig Sii-4l toward the left can thus be accomplished while the discs are in depressed position and supported on the plates 43. Upon completion of motion to the left, the shaft 35 passes beneath the pivoted cam plates 41, raising them slightly to permit this passage. A subsequent cutting operation may then be performed, as just described, with a new multiple hair curler.

The thickness of the discs 34 is suitably chosen so that the individual hair curlers are formed substantially as simple cylinders with extensions 5 and integral members 2. This completes the manufacture of the curlers, no further trimming or other operatic-n being required.

What is claimed is:

l. The process of forming flexible hair curler spindles, with integral arcuate members adapted to overlie a cylindrical surface of the spindles, which comprises interposing a mold plate between two sheets of rubber-like material intended respectively to form a plurality of spindles and members, in such manner that the plate extends nearly but not quite to the edges of the sheets, applying heat and pressure to attach the sheets Where the plate is not interposed, and severing the molded spindles.

2. The process of forming flexible hair curler spindles, with integral arcuate members adapted to overlie a cylindrical surface of the spindles, which comprises interposing a mold plate between two sheets of rubber-like material intended respectively to form a plurality of spindles and members, in such manner that the plate extends nearly 4but not quite to the edges of the sheets, said plate having arcuate surfaces to form the contiguous surfaces of the spindle and the member, applying mold plates to the exposed sheet surf-aces, applying heat and pressure to mold the sheets Ito the configuration of all the mold plates and to attach the sheets where the plate is not interposed, and severing the molded spindles.

3. The process of forming hair curlers in one integral piece, ea-ch of said curlers having a spindle, 'an integral arcuate member adapted to overlie a cylindrical surface of the spindle, and an extension having an ear a-t its free end, which comprises placing two sheets of rubber-like material side by side on a mold plate, one sheet adapted to form a plurality of extensions, and the other to form a plurality of spindles, placing another mold plate over the sheet adapted to form the spindles, in such manner as not to cover said sheet entirely, placing a third she-et of rubberlike material over said other mold plate, and in registry ywith the said sheet, applying -a third mold plate over the stack, and applying heat and pressure to form a series Ioi? integrally joined completed curlers.

WILLIAM B. WILSON. 

